EDITOR’S NOTE: Return of the Ape Man was on Chiller Theater on Saturday, January 22, 1966 at 11:20 p.m., Saturday, November 5, 1966 at 1:00 a.m. and Saturday, August 8, 1970 at 1:00 a.m.
In 1943, Monogram Pictures gave the world The Ape Man. A year later, producer Sam Katzman doubled down on cheap studio sets and mad-scientist antics with Return of the Ape Man. Though marketed as a follow-up, it’s a sequel in name only, sharing zero plot connections with its predecessor—unless you count Bela Lugosi getting mixed up with ape suits and dubious medical ethics yet again.
Directed by Poverty Row workhorse Philip Rosen (Spooks Run Wild, The Shadow Returns) and running a brisk 61 minutes, this Poverty Row gem is a glorious example of quickie studio filmmaking at its most unhinged.
Professor Dexter (Bela Lugosi) and Professor John Gilmore (John Carradine) return from an Arctic expedition having hit the absolute jackpot: a prehistoric caveman preserved inside a giant block of ice. Naturally, bringing him back to the lab is only the first step. To test their reanimation techniques, the two scientists conduct a quick dry run by thawing out a homeless man (Ernie Adams) who had been frozen solid for four months. Once the tramp wakes up good as new, they turn their attention to the main event. They melt the block of ice, but the thawed-out caveman is violently uncontrollable. He promptly escapes the lab and beats a beat cop to death in the street.
Dexter realizes the missing link needs an upgrade: a slice of a modern, highly evolved brain to make him manageable and teach him how to speak. Dexter’s initial brain donor choice is Steve (Michael Ames), the fiancé of Gilmore’s niece Anne (Judith Gibson). When Gilmore pulls a gun on Dexter to save his future nephew-in-law, Dexter decides the uncooperative Gilmore’s brain will do just fine instead. Once the operation is complete, the hybrid creature escapes again and heads straight for the Gilmore home.
The making of Return of the Ape Man carries its own legendary Monogram trivia. George Zucco was originally cast as the titular caveman and participated in early makeup tests and costume fittings. However, Zucco fell severely ill as production began in October 1943, leading ex-heavyweight boxer Frank Moran to step in and take over the role. Because of pre-existing contractual agreements, Zucco still retained third billing on screen, in promotional press materials, and on lobby cards. Since Monogram never wasted a foot of film, they kept the initial footage of Zucco lying frozen on the lab table to save money. If you look closely at the scene where Lugosi and Carradine prepare to melt the block of ice, Zucco’s prominent nose and withered left hand (a result of a WWI injury) are clearly visible facing the camera. The moment the camera cuts away and returns as the creature begins to awaken, Moran has officially taken over the suit.
Shot back-to-back alongside Voodoo Man, Return of the Ape Man is a prime example of Monogram’s assembly-line monster movies: fast-paced, absurdly plotted and held together by the sheer charisma of horror icons like Bela Lugosi and John Carradine chewing up every square inch of the set.
You can watch this on YouTube.
